Primary battery.



E. M. DEEMS.

PRIMARY BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 26. 1915.

Patented June 6, 1916.

ATTORNEYS EDWARD M. DEEMS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PRIMARY BATTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application filed June 26, 1915. Serial No. 86,427.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, EDWARD M. DEEMS, a citizen of the United States, andresident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PrimaryBatteries, of which the following is a specification.

One of the main objects of this invention is to so construct the partsof a primary battery that said parts may be cheaply manu factured andvery conveniently assembled.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the parts of aprimary battery that the recharging of the battery may be veryconveniently accomplished.

There are other important objects and advantages of the invention,relating more particularly to the construction and arrange ment of thebattery elements and the suport therefor, all of which will be morefully hereinafter described.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the batterycomplete; and Fig. 2 a plan view of the battery element su porting ring.

eferring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the ordinarybattery jar and 2 the cover thereof. Secured to the center of the coveris a depending rod 3, sa1d rod being detachably connected to the coverby means of the lock nut 4. This rod forms one terminal of the batteryand secured on the upper end thereof is an ordinary bindin nut 5.Connected to the lower end of rod 3 and supported within the battery jarb said rod is a central hollow metal shell 6. 'l his shell is tapered atits upper end, and is provided at its lower end with a horizontaloutwardly extending annular flange 7. ThlS shell is preferablycylindrical in transverse section and is open at its lower end butclosed at its upper end. Resting on and supported by the flange 7 is aporcelain ring 8, said ring being ormed with the outwardly extendingradial arms 9 at suitable points around its circumference. .Each ofthese arms is provided with an upwardly extending lug 10, the innersurface of said lugs bemgsubstantially in the same vertical plane as t eouter surface of the supporting rin 8. The upper surfaces 11 of theselugs inc e inwardly and downwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, the lower edgeof this inclined surface bein a short distance above the upper surface0% the ring. Each arm at its outer ments are substantially the same.

end is formed with an u wardl extending lug 12, a space 13 being ormedetween the lugs 10 and 12.

Surrounding the central cylindrical shell 6 1s a perforated sheet metalcylinder 14', sa1d cylinder being substantially equal in diameter to thesupporting ring 8 and held in place by the lugs 10. At the lower end ofthls perforated cylinder is formed an inwardly extendmg annular flange15 which rests on the supporting ring 8 and the inner marginal edge ofthis rin is turned upwardly to form the upward y and inwardly mcllnedflange 16 which fits closel against the outer surface of the shell 6. tis preferred to have the flange 16 so disposed that 1ts upper edge willfit closely against the hollow central shell 6 when the parts areassembled, said shell then forming a cylindrical central hollow postextendin up into the perforated metal cylinder 1 1. Ihe narrow annularspace between the shell 6 and the perforated cylinder 14 is designed torecive the negative element, said element beng any desired form offlaked or pulverized, oxldized copper. The cylinder 14 is substantiallyequal in height to the shell 6, and the walls of said cylinder and saidshell are parallel up to the tapered top of the shell 6. The negativeelement fills the space between the two metal parts and rests on theinwardly turned flan e 15 of the cylinder. The central shell 6 erms oneterminal of the battery circuit and the conductor rod 3 is connectedthereto. The cylinder 14 rests loosely on the top of the supporting ring8 and may be removed therefrom whenever it is desired to recharge thebattery with the negative element.

The positive or zinc element 17 is preferably cylindrical and tubular inform, of larger diameter than the perforated cylinder 14 and adapted torest on the arms 9 in the space 13 between the lugs 10 and 12. The lowerend of the zinc is preferably in the same horizontal plane as the bottomof the perforated cylinder 14 and its upper 'end is preferably in ahorizontal plane with the upper ends of the parallel walls of thecentral shell or post, so that the respective lengths of the positiveand negative ele- This zinc rests loosely on the arms 9 and may -bereadily removed therefrom.

The lugs 12 not only prevent the displacement of t e zinc from thesupporting arms, but also Serve as a means for preventing the zinccontacting with the sides of the battery jar. The lugs 10 between thezinc and the negative element, space the zinc away from the negativeelement and prevent the said two elements contacting at any time. Theupper surfaces of the lugs are beveled downwardly and inwardly toprevent any copper particles lodging thereon. Any copper dust settlingon said surfaces will be caused to fall therefrom so that there will beno danger of a bridge of copper or copper dust being formed from thenegative copper element to the zinc element.

It is manifest that I produce a primary battery the parts of which areof extremely simple construction and may be very cheaply and readilymanufactured; and which will permit of a ready, and economical recharge.All of the parts are readily detachable so that lost or broken parts maybe readily replaced when the battery is recharged. The metal shell 6 isin direct contact with the entire body of the negative element, and,therefore, forms an excellent terminal.

In assembling the parts of the battery it is manifest that first theporcelain ring is placed around the central support 6 and brought torest on the flange 7. The perforated cylinder 14 is then placed aroundthe support with its bottom flange 15 resting on the porcelain ring. Theupwardly extending flange 16 bears closely against the shell 6 and formsa comparatively close joint therewith. The flaked copper is then placedin the narrow annular space between the shell 6 and the perforatedcylinder. The zinc element is then placed in position, and said zincelement is preferably of the same height as the column of flaked copper.The eflective lengths of the copper and the zinc are directly oppositeeach other so that their entire effective lengths are utilized. When theparts are assembled as described the suspending rod 3 is secured to thebattery jar cover and then the assembled parts are ready to be placed inthe jar.

It is manifest that the porcelain insulating ring may be used inconjunction with various forms of central supports and with variousconstructions of negative elements. This ring forms a readily removablesup porting means for the zinc element and may, be readily slipped overany form of negative element, it being only necessary to provide meanssimilar to the flange 7 for supporting it at or near the lower end ofsaid element. The said ring and its radiating arms will then form aninsulating support for a zinc element, with all the advantageshereinbefore set forth.

It will also be noted that the porcelain ring together with its radialarms and upstanding lugs 12 form a unitary structure whlch aflords aneflicient support for the batteryelements, whereby all the parts may bereadlly assembled in the jar and supported in their most effectiverelative positions wlthout the use of bolts or other fastening devicesand whereby also the supporting device as an entlrety may be removed.from its central hanger (in this instance, a depending shell 6) when itis desired to clean or renew the battery elements. In removing thecylinder 14 it is withdrawn upwardly off the lnternal shell 6 so thatthe annular 11p 16 shall perform the oflice of a scraper, therebyremovlng from the external surface of the shell 6 any deposits that mayhave formed thereon.

It Will be also seen that a feature of importance lies in so disposingthe upstanding lugs 12 at the outer extremities of the radial arms thatthey engage the zinc cylinder on lfts outer face so as ttil therebyavoid interering in any wa wit the ro er acti the battery elemd nts. p pon of It will be observed also that whether the ring 8 be supporteddirectly on a part of the central hanger member 6 or indirectly thereon,111 all cases the ring will be guided and centered by its support andalso be readily removable as an entirety by being slipped off one end orthe other of the central hanger member.

What I claim is:

1 Abattery comprising a central metal cylindrical support formed with anoutwardly extendlng flange at its lower end, a ring of insulatingmaterial loosely supported on said flange and surrounding said centralsupport, outwardly extending arms formed on said ring, an upwardlyextendmg lug being formed on each of said arms, a perforated metalcylinder supported by the ring between said lugs and the centralsupport, said cylinder forming a narrow annular channel of uniformdimensions throughout and adapted to contain the negative element, anupwardly extending lug at the outer end of each of said arms, said lugsserymg to hold the positive or zinc element in place and to prevent saidelement contacting with the battery jar.

2. A pnmary battery consisting of a jar and a cover-therefor, a centralsuspending member forming one terminal of the battery, a unitary supportfor the battery ele ments consisting of a ring removably sup-- ported onthe lower end of said central mem-- her and provided with a plurality ofradial arms, each of which is provided with an upstanding lug, andbattery elements supported on said support, the positive element beingcentered and supported by said up standing lugs.

3. A primary battery consisting of a jar, a cover therefor, a hangermember depend.- mg from the cover and forming one termi- III nal of thebattery, an insulating support removably supported at the lower end ofsaid hanger member and consisting of a ring surrounding the hangermember and provided with a plurality of radial arms, each having anupstanding lug, a cylindrical zinc element resting on said arms andcentered by said lugs, and means surrounding the aforesaid hanger memberand forming therewith the negative pole.

4. A primary battery consisting of a jar, a central supporting memberforming the negative terminal of the battery, and means for removablysupporting thereon the remaining elements of the battery, said meansembodying a unitary structure consisting of an insulating ringsurrounding and removably supported on said support and adapted to beremoved by being slipped off one end thereof, said ring being providedwith a plurality of radial arms, each of which is provided with anupstanding lug for supporting and centering the positive element of thebattery.

5. A primary battery consisting of a jar, a central supporting memberforming the negative terminal of the battery, and means for removablvsupporting thereon the remaining elements of the battery, said meansembodying a unitary structure consisting of an insulating ringsurrounding and removably supported on said support and adapted to bemoved by being slipped ofl one end thereof, said ring being providedwith a plurality of radial arms, each of which is provided with anupstanding lug for supporting and centering the positive element of thebattery, said lugs being at the extreme outer ends of the radial arms soas to engage the outer face of the positive element, for the purpose setforth.

6. In a primary battery, the combination of a jar, a cover therefor, adepending cylindrical member forming one terminal of the battery, meansfor removably supporting the elements of the battery upon the lower endthereof, the negative element of the battery embodying a perforatedcylinder having at its lower end an inwardly-extending flange formingthe bottom of the chamber of the negative element and impinging againstthe exterior surface of the aforesaid depending member, whereby whensaid perforated c linder is slipped ofl the end of the said cyllndricalmember said flange will serve to scrape the exterior surface of saidmember.

7. In a primary battery, the combination of a jar, a cover therefor, acentral supporting member forming one terminal of the battery, aninsulating ring support removably supported thereon and provided with aplurality of radial arms, each of which is provided on its upper surfacewith two spaced upstanding lugs, the inner lug having its upper surfacebeveled downwardly, and removable battery elements supported on saidring and its arms, the beveled lugs extending up between the negativeand ositive battery elements so that their inc ined surfaces will serveto shed or deflect deposited substances toward one of the batteryelements and thus prevent internal shortcircuiting of the battery.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

EDWARD M. DEEMS.

